How sad is this?

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Tom Hanks had to pull out all the stops prevent that wonderfully funny slobbering French mastiff from stealing the entire film Turner&Hooch. After all the two were equally top billed and should have had an equal share of the laughs.Turner&Hooch has Hanks as small town police detective Scott Turner who is moving to an unnamed big city because he wants more challenging police work. But he gets himself an unsolved homicide in the last week on his job. The victim is John McIntire in what was his farewell performance as an old man who lived on a shack at the docks of the small coastal town. McIntire had been complaining about strange goings on at a nearby fish cannery and when someone is murdered there McIntire is also silenced.The only witness is McIntire's dog Hooch and Hanks saves him from being put down as he's the closest thing to a witness he has. But this dog who lived in that waterfront shack where McIntire didn't exactly house break him proves to be quite a handful.There's no way you couldn't love that big goofy dog. But I sure wouldn't want him for mine. There's a reason I'm a cat person. Hanks who's a pretty funny guy himself has some wonderful scenes with the dog. But he proves to be quite the chick magnet as well because of the interest veterinarian Mare Winningham shows in Hanks.This one scored big at the box office in 1989. It still a very funny and heart warming film for audiences of all ages.

A detective (Tom Hanks) must adopt the dog of a dead man (John McIntire) to help him find the murderer.Looking back from today (2014), this film may seem like a fun, 1980s buddy cop movie between Tom Hanks and a slobbering dog. But when actually viewed, the nostalgia fades and we are left with a fairly average movie. Even with its star power (Hanks), this is not a very exciting film, and no better than countless other movies of its kind. For something co-written by Michael Blodgett of "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls" fame, you would expect more quirks.In fact, the saving grace is Reginald VelJohnson, who makes for great comic relief. Craig T. Nelson is alright but could have used a bigger role. The romantic angle seemed completely unnecessary and should have been taken out, although it does (in some small way) help advance the plot.

Tom Hanks is an obsessive-compulsive cop who takes in a filthy, slobbish French Mastiff when it's the only witness to a murder. Basically The Odd Couple with a dog. It's predictable and formulaic to the bone, but hits a strange nerve that allows us to overlook its shortcomings and appreciate the sweetness of the ride. Hanks is largely to thank for that, at the top of his game very early in his dramatic career. Though a few not-so-surprising supporting actors pop in from time to time, (Reginald VelJohnson as a policeman? What a shock!) it's almost entirely a one-man show that sails beyond expectations on the merits of his lone performance. In fact, the closest competition is Beasley the dog, who's absurdly emotive and personable throughout the film. He and Hanks make for a great team, as silly as that might sound, and it's easy to tell that a lot of their best scenes were ad-libs that miraculously avoided the cutting room floor. Funny, bittersweet movie magic that really has no business being as entertaining as it is.

I remember loving this movie as a kid, and watching it recently, I must admit it aged pretty well (except for the music and the hairdo of the leading actress). I laughed several times at the antics on display, mostly because of the interactions between Tom Hanks (Turner) and Hooch. Hooch, the dog, is a special effect in itself. He's initially so ugly, I thought he was some kind of unique bastard dog, but it turns out there's an actual breed. Who would have thought? So initially ugly, so big, yet turning out so lovable and actually handsome with his sad face and droopy expressions, once he cleaned up and didn't slobber too much.We have Tom Hanks at the height of his comedy career (before he turned too serious) giving a very energetic and enthusiastic performance despite playing a serious, by-the-book, neat freak. For me, there was actual chemistry between him and the dog. That scene where they "talked" in the car was hilarious. The other actors weren't bad but weren't notable.Other scenes where the dog made a mess or was particularly disgusting were to be expected, but they were enjoyable nevertheless, mostly due to us expecting Hank's reactions and him actually delivering. Sure, he was a bit over the top sometimes, but it worked. The actual police action stuff was less interesting and pretty standard for the times. The movie was also a bit sad a few times, but I think that made the movie more memorable. For me, this film remains a reference, even today, in terms of dog-comedy movies.Rating: 7 out of 10 (Very good)